Why are more young people getting colon cancer in some parts of the U.S.?
Geographical Variations in Early Onset Colorectal Cancer in the United States between 2001 and 2020
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rising nearly 3x faster than adenocarcinomas in the West and Northeast.
NETs are rare and typically slow-growing; their explosive rise in young adults contradicts assumptions that all colorectal cancers are following the same trend.
Practical Takeaways
If you're under 50 and live in the West or Northeast, talk to your doctor about colon cancer screening—even if you feel fine.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rising nearly 3x faster than adenocarcinomas in the West and Northeast.
NETs are rare and typically slow-growing; their explosive rise in young adults contradicts assumptions that all colorectal cancers are following the same trend.
Practical Takeaways
If you're under 50 and live in the West or Northeast, talk to your doctor about colon cancer screening—even if you feel fine.
Publication
Journal
Cancers
Year
2024
Authors
Yazan Abboud, Madison Fraser, Imran Qureshi, Shivani Srivastava, Ibrahim Abboud, Benjamin I. Richter, F. Jaber, S. Alsakarneh, A. Al-Khazraji, Kaveh Hajifathalian
Related Content
Claims (6)
Between 2001 and 2020, rare tumors called neuroendocrine tumors in the colon and rectum became more common each year at a faster rate than the more common type of colorectal cancer called adenocarcinoma, especially in the West and Northeast regions of the United States.
From 2001 to 2020, early-onset colorectal cancer was most common in the southern U.S., but its numbers grew slowly there; in the western U.S., it started less common but increased faster, showing different patterns of growth between the two regions.
From 2001 to 2020, colorectal cancer became more common in younger adults in every part of the U.S., and men were diagnosed at higher rates than women, with their rates rising faster over time.
In the southern U.S., young people are more likely to develop colorectal cancer at an early age, but they receive fewer antibiotic prescriptions and colonoscopies than in other regions. This suggests that factors other than antibiotic use or screening rates may be contributing to the higher cancer rates in this area.
Between 2001 and 2020, the number of new cases of colorectal cancer in adults aged 20 to 54 rose in every region of the United States, with the fastest increase in the West and the slowest in the South, showing that different areas experienced different rates of growth in this disease.